What kind of carpets are there in Morocco?

Posted by John Smith on March 18th, 2020

In addition to the Beni Mguild tapijt, there are many carpets from the Atlas Mountains that come from different tribes of the Berber people. Many Berbers are nomads and therefore have a very close relationship with carpets, they sleep on them, but also use them as clothing. Various types of kilims are famous in Morocco, but also Azilaltapijt.

What qualities are there?

Almost all carpets are designed with high-quality vintage carpets, the selection is huge. With Beni Ourains you should first look at the underside: if the knots are well knotted but have a gap, the carpet is probably handmade vs. machine-made carpets that are very tightly knotted. 

Beni Ourain Marokkaanse tapijten are almost always white / cream colors with a black or brown diamond pattern. The black patterns are originals of dark sheep and not colored. 

On the underside of the carpet, you can often see that the black dots “bleed” slightly, which means they lose color. This shows that it is dyed wool which significantly worsens durability and washability. 

Next, look at the quality of the wool. Cheap wool is harder and coarser. After it is difficult to judge whether the wool is soft or not, if you have no comparison, you can do the following: take a wool thread and twist it in. With real, old Beni Ourains, the yarn is very tight and firm. On the other hand, with newer and cheaper qualities, the wool remains thick.

How do I transport a carpet?

Depending on the size, you can take the carpet with you or have it sent. You have to expect a shipping price, so it is usually worth booking a piece of luggage with the airline. The retailers roll up the carpets mostly very small and compact so that carrying them is no problem.